Macomb Township to review 41A Court finances again

For the second time in three years, Macomb Township officials hired an auditing firm to determine if hosting the 41A District Court makes economic sense.

By a 7-0 vote Wednesday, the township Board of Trustees directed the Plante and Moran firm to conduct a second study of the court’s finances. A similar analysis in 2010 suggested construction of a new court building in Macomb Township would be feasible.

“We had a five-year projection (but that was) three years ago,” said Macomb Township Clerk Michel Koehs. “We want another look at it and not just make assumptions.”

In a brief presentation to Macomb Township officials, Mark Hurst of Plante and Moran said his firm will examine actual revenues and expenditures of the 41A District Court for 2010-2012, and then project finances through 2017. The study will take about eight weeks.

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“What the board is interested in seeing, quite frankly, are real numbers,” Hurst said. “What is the real revenue that is generated by the court? What are the real expenses?

“… What is the bottom line?”

Hurst said the knowledge his firm gained from its previous study would lower the cost for Macomb Township anywhere from $13,500 to $15,500. That’s about 30 percent less than township officials paid three years ago.

If the figures prove palatable, Macomb Township officials could build a new court building as part of the government complex near 25 Mile and Broughton roads as a companion building to the township hall and recreation center already situated at that location.

Housed in Shelby Township for many years, the 41A District Court entertained the idea of relocating after Shelby Township put off for several years any plans to build a new facility in that community. Macomb Township officials said they’d like to host the court if financial considerations proved favorable.

Recently, officials of Shelby and Macomb townships reached agreement on how health care coverage for retired court employees would be financed. That agreement removed a major hurdle to the possible relocation of the court.

Macomb Township’s decision to hire Plante and Moran does not commit officials to building a new court, regardless of what the study concludes.